Stars young and old reflect on Hoffman's death

Celebrity colleagues and admirers of Philip Seymour Hoffman shared their reaction Sunday to his death at 46 of an apparent drug overdose:

— "One of the greats of his generation." — Albert Brooks on Twitter.

— "Dear Philip, a beautiful beautiful soul. For the most sensitive among us the noise can be too much. Bless your heart." — Jim Carrey on Twitter.

— "Love and prayers for Philip Seymour Hoffman's family. Addiction kills, I hope all who need it have access to abstinence based recovery." — Russell Brand on Twitter.

— "One of the greatest actors of a generation and a sweet, funny & humble man."— Ricky Gervais on Twitter.

— "Philip Seymour Hoffman was a brilliant, talented man. The news this morning is shocking and sad. My heart goes out to his loved ones." — Ellen DeGeneres on Twitter.

— "He was not only the most gifted actor I ever worked with (and judging by the legacy he leaves behind I am certain I share this with most if not all directors who were fortunate enough to work with him), he had also become an incredibly inspiring and supportive friend. I am so terribly sad as I find it impossible to comprehend what happened today and to collect my thoughts properly. I have to think about Mimi and the children and I wish them much strength coping with the loss of this truly great man as a father and partner." — Director Anton Corbijn in a statement. Hoffman stars in Corbijn's film "A Most Wanted Man," which premiered earlier this month at the Sundance Film Festival.

— "I'm so shocked, and so sad hearing of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death. I enjoyed playing with him on the Big Lebowski. He was such a wonderful guy, and so damn talented, a real treasure. My thoughts and prayers are with his family." — Jeff Bridges on Facebook.

— "Damn, We Lost Another Great Artist. Phillip Seymour Hoffman." — Spike Lee on Twitter.

— "Unbelievable talent. The creative community has lost a true acting genius." — Channing Tatum on Twitter.

— "RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman, you will always be remembered for your amazing work. Thank you for being the perfect Plutarch. We love you." — Lea Michelle on Twitter.

— "Philip was a very important actor and really takes his place among the real great actors. It's a shame. Who knows what he would have been able to do? But we're left with the legacy of the work he's done, and it all speaks for itself. New York found him first with theater, and the rest of us have been experiencing his talent from the big screen. So we're sad of his passing." — Kevin Costner, in a brief interview with The Associated Press before the Super Bowl.

— "He was the best of the best — seems impossible that he's gone." — James Franco on Twitter.

— "Very, very sorry that he passed away. Understand it was through the use of some controlled substances and it's very, very sad. It sends a warning to a lot of people. ... We will miss his work." — Mitt Romney, in an interview with the AP before the Super Bowl.

— "I can't believe Philip Seymour Hoffman is dead — I adored him as an actor — what a sad sad story." — Larry King on Twitter.

— "The loss is real & personal when the talent is that uncommonly large. Each time he appeared in a scene your brain went to a higher ground." — Writer and producer James L. Brooks on Twitter.